Beautiful accounting software
How to position Xero in your firm
Get your team on board quickly and effectively
Introducing new technology in any organization can often be a
challenge. One major reason is inertia to change; that is, your staff
feels comfortable doing business “the way it’s always been done”
and can be adverse to taking the time to learn new software.
This is completely natural.
To help you position Xero in your firm, use this quick guide for tips
to get your staff onboard, trained and ready to work in no time.
With Xero’s easy-to-learn interface and online resources, your
team may even see this new change in a positive light.
Manage the change
Adding new solutions to your software stack is a big decision. It not
only impacts you, but everyone in your practice. Your team is your
biggest asset in this process, so it’s important they understand what
you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
Be prepared to provide a realistic view of how you are going to make
the transition. You’re team will want you to guide them through your
thought process. A backstory will be especially helpful for your team
to understand the reasons behind the change.
Managing change is about people fit, testing a few different
approaches and dealing with issues as they arise quickly and
effectively. The good news: how your team currently operates will
not change dramatically. But, how they actually do their job in Xero
will change. It is important to draw those two distinctions.
For example, in many firms, client managers do not go near the
ledger. Typically, that’s the responsibility of associates. Xero doesn’t
change that; but it does streamline the flow between these two roles.
Associates focus on keeping the data clean and up-to-date, while your
client managers interpret that data for client communication.
How this work is done is a bit different than before, but ultimately what
each employee does has not changed. The benefit is that Xero helps
you focus on the jobs your team already does to maximize value.
It used to take us a week to
get a new accountant ready to
work on files. With Xero U, we
can have a new staffer ready
to crunch numbers by the end
of their first day.
Cristina Garza,
Accountingprose
“
Get your team on board
There are two key concepts to consider in getting your team on board. The
first is transparency; that is, why is the firm making this change and how this
change benefits the business (and eventually the staff ). The second is how
this change positively affects your staff’s day-to-day work.
For the firm, aligning with Xero brings a number of benefits, including:
• The industry’s most modern, cloud-based accounting solution that
appeals to emerging businesses who rely on the cloud for conducting
business.
• Unparalleled ease-of-use compared to older, more difficult-to-use
accounting systems. This results in greater productivity and thus more
time to spend with clients or prospecting for new business.
• Xero’s unmatched partner program that provides a wealth of resources
including practice ledgers, product discounts, marketing assistance, a
Xero account manager and direct access to the Xero team.
Xero Education has brought
huge value to our practice.
It saves us dedicating a staff
member’s time to putting
together training sessions.
That time quickly adds up
to thousands of dollars in
revenue.
Kimberley Middlemis,
Adrians Chartered
Accountants
For staff, Xero puts leading-edge technology directly into the hands of firm
professionals and clients:
• Xero’s cloud-based architecture enables staff to access client or practice
information – anytime, anywhere across any device.
• Industry-leading ease-of-use enables staff to do more in less time.
• An incredible wealth of training, online resources and an active user
community for the latest in tips, tricks and help.
When the benefits to both the firm and staff explained in this manner,
it comforts your team and unifies them to make the switch to Xero.
Schedule the training
One of Xero’s key business propositions is to provide innovative and engaging
training – in many different forms – so that users feel comfortable, proficient
and confident right away. Make sure your staff understands that training is a
key component of bringing Xero on board.
Xero U is your homebase for tutorials, product training and thought
leadership. There is a wealth of online classes, recorded sessions and
other support to get you up and running quickly.
Beginning your team with an Intro to Xero webinar is a great way for them
to understand the highlevel operation of Xero. For staff working day-today within the program, Xero Certification is recommended. Several firms
designate an internal Xero Champion as their go to subject matter expert
for product and platform.
Xero TV is another educational resource that includes hundreds of how-to
videos on tasks both simple and complex, demonstrations of new features
and integrations, plus dozens of Partner case studies for inspiration.
Get the team ready
As a Xero Partner, you don’t need to go it alone. Your Xero account manager
can help you with everything from answering questions to devising a
comprehensive transition program for your firm. At Xero, when you succeed,
we succeed.
Xero Education has been
vital in the upskilling of our
practice. We are able to
service clients more quickly
by having information at our
fingertips. This time saving is
the equivalent of two full-time
members of staff.
Stephen Paul, Valued